Direct physical interaction between the Caenorhabditis elegans ‘death proteins’ CED‐3 and CED‐4

FEBS Letters

Irmler, Martin¹  Tschopp, Jürg¹  Vaux, David²  Hofmann, Kay³ 

[1] Institute of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Ch. des Bovereses 155, CH-1066 Epalinges, Switzerland;The Walter and Elisa Hall Institute of Medical Research, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Vic. 3050, Australia;The Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, BIL Biomedical Research Center, Chemin des Boveresses 155, CH-1066 Epalinges, Switzerland

关键词: Caenorhabditis elegans;    Apoptosis;    Caspase;    Interleukin-1β converting enzyme;   

DOI  :  10.1016/S0014-5793(97)00271-8

学科分类：生物化学/生物物理

来源: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

【 摘 要 】

The two genes CED-4 and CED-3 (the nematode homologue of interleukin-1β converting enzyme, ICE) of Caenorhabditis elegans are implicated in the control of cell death, but the mechanism by which this occurs is unknown. Here we provide evidence that CED-3 and CED-4 both contain sequences with homology to a domain present in RAIDD and the prodomain of certain ICE-like proteases (caspases). This domain is known to establish an interaction between RAIDD and these caspases. Similarly, CED-4 was found to interact with CED-3. Thus, the activity of the death protease CED-3 appears to be controlled by CED-4 through a direct physical interaction.

【 授权许可】

Unknown